A Courageous Journey

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‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’ ”
-Matthew 2:6 NLT


 – The Wise Men

Sometimes things just do not go according to plan. Have you ever had that happen? Do you remember the people from a far away land that told Herod about Baby Jesus? Well, a long time ago, they experienced a trip that did not go according to plan. 

For many years, these wise men had studied old writings that said a special king would be born to rule over the Jews. Their studies told them that a special star would let them know when this special king was supposed to be born. Can you imagine how excited they were when they finally saw the star that they had been waiting for? They wanted to go see this new king and worship him. But, that meant a long journey and they were not exactly sure where they were supposed to go. They just knew they were supposed to follow that special star! After traveling for a long, long time, they stopped at what they thought was a logical place to find a special Jewish King, the palace in Jerusalem. 

But they did not find the foretold king at the palace! Instead, after meeting with the wicked and selfish King Herod that we learned about yesterday, these wise men learned that the special king was actually in a little town called Bethlehem. The star they had been following led them to a small house, not a palace, where they met a poor baby boy named Jesus. No, this trip had definitely not gone as planned or expected. 

And the strangeness did not stop there. When the wise men were ready to go home, they had a dream that told them not to let King Herod know where Jesus was. So, they had to change their plans once again and go home a completely different way. 

What do you do when things do not go according to plan? Do you get mad? That is what the wise men could have done. They could have decided it wasn’t worth it to keep looking for the special king when things stopped going according to plan. Instead, they chose to have courage and keep following the special star, even when they had no idea where they were going.

You can have courage, too, even when things do not go as expected. Just remember the wise men and remember that God will guide you just as He guided them! 

Read bible reference - Matthew 2:1-12




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